Valentine Holmes makes huge call ahead of judiciary hearing

Valentine Holmes will take on the NRL judiciary in a bid to have his careless high tackle ruling quashed ahead of Saturday night’s grudge match with Brisbane.

Valentine Holmes of the Cowboys. Picture: Getty Images

Valentine Holmes will take on the NRL judiciary in a bid to have his careless high tackle ruling quashed ahead of Saturday night’s grudge match with Brisbane.

Holmes was charged with a Grade II high tackle offence by the match review committee after tackling lightweight Titans fullback Jayden Campbell.

A successful downgrade would result in Holmes being available to face the Broncos in Saturday’s XXXX Derby, but will miss the remainder of the regular season if he is unsuccessful.

Holmes was sanctioned on the field with a sin-binning but stood to miss three of the Cowboys’ remaining four matches with an early guilty plea; against Brisbane, Cronulla and the Dolphins.

With North Queensland’s finals dream on a knife’s edge the Cowboys will roll the dice at the judiciary in an all-or-nothing gamble.

Holmes had drawn the ire of officials in consecutive weeks, after dodging a suspension for another high tackle last week on Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses.

The Cowboy’s exemplary disciplinary record saw him fined $1800 for that incident.

Holmes had not been charged by the match review committee in three years before the Moses tackle.

Holmes will face the judiciary on Tuesday evening.

Originally published as Valentine Holmes makes huge call ahead of judiciary hearing